The Only One Neal Trusts
by jc90
Summary: What Peter and Neal really feel about each other, and how their trust for each other as partners evolves. hiatus.
1. Chapter 1: The Only One Neal Trusts

"I'm on my way. Hold him until I arrive…it would be best if you calm him down." Dr. Powell instructed the male orderly over the phone, who was watching Neal from the desk. He hung up and quietly told the female nurse to get a medium dose of Xanax. She prepared a large syringe and began walking to a wide-eyed Neal, "This is to help you relax".

_Relax? You have got to be kidding, _thought Neal.

She injected the sedative into his arm. If he weren't restrained, Neal would have instinctively jerked his arm away from the uncomfortable pressure inside his arm.

"I hope there is something fun in there Nurse Ratchet," he said breathing sharply.

_I hope Peter got the message, _Neal thought as his vision blurred.

"Electronic monitoring compliance unit," said a cool, female voice on the phone.

"This is Burke, FBI. I need the location of detention tracking anklet ninety-three-oh-five-alpha, Neal Caffrey." Peter was anxiously pacing around in his dining room. Furious, nervous, and feeling everything in between, for Neal.

"One moment please."

"Is Neal in trouble?" Elizabeth asked, looking up from her Blackberry.

Peter sighed, "Yeah. He's in a lot of trouble."

"Agent Burke? We have him located at 626 Williams Street."

He vaguely recalled the address from somewhere, and he had a suspicion that it was the one place he desperately wanted Neal not to go. He retrieved Melissa's card from his wallet and confirmed his suspicion.

Angrily he put down the phone, "Caffrey. I told him not to go to that clinic. I told him!"

Elizabeth looked up at him apprehensively.

"But he's Neal. He doesn't think! They're going to send him back to prison for this. Now what I have to do is call Judge Shevaro and get a warrant." Peter was speaking his thoughts aloud as he prepared to go extract Neal from the hospital.

Elizabeth thought of a better solution, "Why don't you just get someone to, I don't know, show you the place?" She picked up Melissa's card, "if she invites you in…that's okay right?"

Peter entered the clinic searching for any clues as to where Neal was, or at least where Melissa was. The receptionist saw his confusion and asked, "Can I help you?"

"Yeah I'm looking for…ah, there she is. Melissa!"

Melissa froze at her name from the balcony and looked down and saw Peter.

"Doctor Tannenbaum! You're early." She was a bit flustered at his timing, but still pleased that he came to see her.

"I couldn't wait to see you," Peter skipped up some steps to meet her on the stairs.

"Ah, well I'm flattered, but this really isn't a good time, if you don't mind waiting 'til this evening…"

"I couldn't wait."

Melissa's phone rang, and Peter took the chance to sneak past her to the rooms. Peter slowly walked down the hallway trying to figure out which closed office that Neal was hiding in.

Softly, he called out for his partner. "Neal?...Neal?"

A muffled tenor sang a nameless, incoherent tune, which Peter ignored knowing that there were psychology patients in the area. "Two lovers kiss and the world keels hill…hill? Fill~!" Peter thought he recognized the voice…Neal! He cautiously entered the singer's room and was greeted with a disheartening sight.

"Good nature's...." Neal sighed, exhausted, yet continued singing, "High~! On a…" Neal briefly focused in on Peter's form and immediately cheered up. "Hi buddy!"

Peter felt uncomfortable seeing Neal like this. "Neal."

"Hi!" Neal yelled. Peter quietly shut the door and swiftly moved to Neal's side and began to take his pulse, but Neal had other plans and happily belted some more of his song in Peter's ear. "High on a windy hill…" Neal began slipping out of consciousness, while Peter was shushing him so he wouldn't alert the guards.

"Alright, we have to get you out of these restraints."

_Though he does look good in them._ Peter was momentarily distracted by that frightening line of thought. He was not interested in Neal that way. Lost in the confusion, he was slightly startled when Neal merely raised his arms up and out of the restraints. "What you mean these? What? Never met a lock I couldn't pick," Neal said happily, "except my anklet. I don't know what it is about…" Peter recovered and proceeded to hoist Neal onto his shoulders, and couldn't help but notice how nice Neal smelled, clean, masculine cologne, that was also sensuous and probably more expensive than anything he's ever used. Peter couldn't even process the sensory information as he was more concerned about getting the both of them out.

"You're strong. You're strong" Neal said in surprise. "Wait, I got it, I got it," slurred Neal, before collapsing face first into the floor. Peter immediately picked him back up and half carried, half dragged Neal out into the hallway, moving down the hall away from the stairs down to the reception area.

Peter got them both into a conference room, but dropped Neal because his right arm was getting tired. Neal was out of it, and Peter was beginning to feel exhausted.

"Neal, come on, get up." Peter took a moment to catch his breath. "I can not believe you. Why would you do something like this?!"

"Peter I've done so~ many more worse things that you don't even know about," Neal drawled on.

"Shh...shut up," Peter was listening for any indicators that there were guards nearby, before he realized what Neal said. "Like what things?" curiosity getting the better of him.

"Do you remember the Antioch Manuscripts?"

"You took those! How?" Peter was angry, but amused."

"Carrier pigeons!" Neal said proudly in a sing-song manner. "Think about it."

"Who cares? Peter! It's not what's important. It's not about…money, it's about people."

"Good because you're going to be spending a lot of quality time with people, in orange jumpsuits once I get you out of here." Peter knew he wouldn't actually put Neal back in jail, but he needed something to leverage the situation to his favor.

Neal looked at Peter, hurt, and a little angry that Peter was still holding that over his head. "Right. I'm going down once they see those security tapes of me picking in here." The prospect of jail sobering Neal up somewhat.

"Those surveillance cameras…" Peter was thinking about what to do about them.

Neal weakly, but determinedly tried to pull Peter away from his thoughts. "Before I go back you should know this. Out of all the people in my life, Mozie, even Kate, you know…you're the only one."

Peter looked into Neal's eyes and saw something in there. Respect? Sadness? Love? That last one would be a real shock, but deep down inside, Peter really wanted that to be there.

"The only one what?"

"The only person in my life I trust." Neal was dead serious. It wasn't a lie to get himself out of a situation, he truly believed that Peter felt something for him, because if he didn't, then Neal would have to deal with the fact that his love is unrequited.

Peter felt conflicted. He knew he should help Neal, but it could cost him his job, and possibly both their freedom. And when he saw just how depressed Neal looked after admitting that glimpse into Neal's true thoughts about the detective who had spent a better part of his career obsessing over the capture of the thief, he wanted to just take Neal into his arms and just be with him, screw the world, he would be fine if it were just the two of them. But Peter needed to get them out, and then he would talk to Neal later about what Neal really means. He laid his hand on Neal's head to comfort him in the least offensive way he knew how as he figured out how to deal with the security tapes.

Peter grabbed a chair and handcuffed Neal to it.

"Don't pick this." And he quickly set off to find the security room and steal the tapes.

Neal lost focus for a brief moment, before coming to his senses. He didn't immediately remember how he got handcuffed to a chair, but then he remembered Peter's instructions.

"I could slip you off, that wouldn't be picking, that'd be slipping, but…"_ Peter wanted me to stay, so I'll stay. _He began singing, sleepily, when Peter came back, tape in hand. Neal couldn't be sure if what he was seeing was real or not, "What is that?" he asked.

"Surveillance tape," replied Peter, before unlocking Neal from the chair.

Neal was shocked, "Peter…?"

"Let's go."

"...you stole that for me?" Neal said, touched at how Peter risked himself to keep him out of jail.

Peter picked Neal back up, "Yeah, it's a real Kodak moment." He was pleased with himself, he had kept Neal safe and out of jail.

To be continued…


	2. Chapter 2: You Don't Trust Me Peter

"Very clever," Neal said to Pierce, annoyed at the construction workers with hero complexes walking menacingly over to him.

"I work with what I've got." With that she ran away screaming bloody murder, and left Neal with four angry men much bigger than him.

"Whoa, hey! There's been a misunderstanding here guys! She's crazy!" Neal was panicking a little as the men began grabbing at him. They were aiming for clear patches of douchebag to attack and were about to punch him to death when Peter came to the rescue.

"FBI! Let him go!" Peter ran over flashing his badge. "Let him go," he needed to catch his breath.

"He was attacking a woman," one of the workers started to explain, but Peter cut him off.

"Okay, I'll take it from here."

"Thanks. Thank you so much for that, thanks," Neal was stammering sarcastically at the workers, breathing fast from the adrenaline.

"Lauren, got Neal. Pierce disappeared into the crowd." Peter hung up with Agent Cruz and quickly scanned the area.

"You see where she went?"

Neal stared at Peter in disbelief. _Honestly, you really know how to make someone feel better Peter_. "No, I was a little preoccupied with the guys closing in to kill me. Cuttin' it a little close there huh?!"

"Yeah we weren't expecting your girlfriend there to show up."

Neal looked confused.

"I know about Alex!" Peter tried to keep a tear that was threatening to expose his cover in his right eye.

Neal looked at Peter, disappointed that he didn't trust him enough to not pry into his or his friend's lives.

They began walking back together, but they kept more distance between them than they ever had together.

"She disappeared again. What the hell happened back there Neal? What was your fence doing walking in the middle of our operation?"

"What were _you_ doing pulling her prints? What? I welcome you into my home and you run a file on my friend?! You can't trust me. After everything," Neal was pissed. Pissed that the man he cares so much about could be so callous.

"You tell me! I know you're looking for the music box. Maybe you're looking to pawn the jade too!" Peter was mad that Neal couldn't understand how hurt he was that Neal didn't trust him enough to tell him about Alex, about the fact that he didn't have the music box, and that he was searching for it this whole time without him.

"You let Pierce walk because you're playing your own angle."

"There were _three _of them Peter…" Neal tried to remain calm, but Peter could be so thick at times.

"You shouldn't have let her go!"

Neal thought he noticed a strange desperation in Peter's eye, and it made him uncomfortable. "Okay, you think what you wanna think. I'll walk from here."

"Where are you going?!" Peter didn't want to deal with this right now.

"Home, something you don't have right now!" Neal knew that remark would sting. _Good I want him to feel as much pain as he's making me feel_. "If you don't trust me you can check my anklet!"

"I will!" Peter didn't know how to stop Neal. It was painful watching his partner so angry and hurt, and all Peter could do about it was retaliate with anger of his own.

"Do it." With that Neal walked away, leaving a frustrated Peter finally let the tear fall.


	3. Chapter 3: When Trust Dies

"You said goodbye to everyone but me. Why?" Peter asked, amused, but more curious.

"I don't know" Nick said, clearly wanting to drop the subject.

"Yeah you do. Tell me" Peter demanded. He needed to know why Neal, of all people, would forget to say goodbye to everyone, but himself.

"I don't know…" Neal began to say, sounding exhausted and a bit saddened.

"Why?!" Peter was losing his patience, Neal was hiding something, he was sure of it, but no matter what Neal was up to he would find out.

"…Peter. You know why!" Neal sounded as if he truly could not believe how Peter could be so dense.

"Tell me!" Peter demanded again, as Neal was walking towards the private jet holding Kate.

Neal turned and looked at Peter with an unreadable expression.

"Cuz you're the only one who can change my mind" he finally admitted, his secret was out.

Peter was pleased that he had such an impact on Neal, but he had to know something else.

"Did I?"

Neal gave him a look as to say "Who knows?" before he turned around just in time to see the jet burst into flames, with Kate still inside.

Peter immediately held Neal back as he was about to run over in a futile attempt to save her.

"No! Kate!" Neal cried out in sorrow.

Peter held a distressed Neal on the ground as he wept for the loss of his treasure. He let Neal cry until the thief's eyes had dried from the salt, before helping Neal stand back up.

"Come on Neal," Peter said quietly, "let's go back to my car, you're going to get sick."

Neal didn't respond, but allowed himself to be picked up by the arms and shuffled back to Peter's Taurus. Peter drove the both of them back to his house, and he guided Neal onto the couch. Peter pointed towards the kitchen, telling Elizabeth that they should talk there. She nodded and slipped in with Peter behind her.

"What happened?"

"Kate, she was on a plane, and I don't know what happened, but it was a trap, someone blew up the plane and…Kate…" Peter was trying to figure out what had happened, he was rambling.

Elizabeth covered her mouth with her hands in shock, "oh my god! That's awful! Did Fowler…"

"I don't know!" Peter shouted in frustration and immediately regretted it, seeing Neal look up at them with vacant eyes. He closed the door. "I don't know," he repeated quieter, "as much as I'd like to think Fowler is behind this, I don't think it was him. He has no reason to, he got the box. Why jeopardize his career?" Peter was trying to put the pieces together, "No, someone else is behind this. But who?!"

Elizabeth put her hand on his arm to comfort him, "You'll figure it out, but right now you and Neal need to rest, both of you have been through a lot today. Go sit down, I'll make you both some tea."

She kissed him and started filling up a kettle up with water. Peter went into the living room and sat in his recliner and sitting back in it. He knew Neal wouldn't cause any trouble. Satchmo was lying in Neal's lap, licking his fingers, while he was lost in thought. Elizabeth came in with some tea. She put the cups on the table and went to sit next Neal. Her maternal instincts guided her hand to his back and she began to soothingly rub his back in circles. Neal responded by leaning into her shoulder and began crying again. Peter watched as his wife hugged the thief, pitying the poor boy. He had been watching the scene so closely he had not heard Neal ask him a question.

"Peter," Neal spoke up, anger heated the words, "did you know?"

Elizabeth looked at Neal, amazed that he would accuse Peter of murdering the one thing Neal had been obsessively searching for.

"Neal," Peter began.

"Yes or no," Neal snarled.

Peter took a deep breath and said, "yes."


	4. Chapter 4: Recuperating

Author's Note: Hey everyone, thanks for being patient with me, I know I said I would try to get this chapter done this past weekend, but I needed to do stuff for my school.

Without further ado, this chapter shall start now…

* * *

Elizabeth was speechless, and Neal, Neal was conflicted. Pain from losing Kate, fury at Peter for admitting he knew what was going to happen and not telling Neal, hurt from Peter's betrayal, curiosity as to how Peter knew and why he didn't tell him, needless to say the flood of emotions made Neal dizzy as he begun to hyperventilate.

Peter wanted to break the silence, "Neal," was all he managed to get out before Neal locked eyes on his 'friend'.

"Why didn't you tell me Peter?" Neal was unable to maintain his cool demeanor and shouted his question loud enough that Satchmo ran upstairs to hide under the beds thinking Neal's voice was thunder from outside.

Peter was about to say something, but decided against it, he needed to think of the best way to respond without putting Neal in more danger than he was already in.

"Well Peter? Are you going to answer him?" Elizabeth was motivated out of both pity for Neal and curiosity as to why her husband would hide something that important from Neal.

"If I told you, you would have tried to pull some stupid stunt to try and save her, and then you both would have died" Peter said with a bit of frustration coloring his voice.

"You don't know that, I could've have saved her," Neal voice strangled a little as guilt began to creep into his mind with that last thought, " I could've saved her. I could've…" Neal went into his own little world whispering that poisonous phrase to himself.

Elizabeth on the other hand connected some dots, "Peter if you knew, why didn't you do anything to stop it?"

"I couldn't. Before we found out that Neal and Kate were in danger, Fowler had begun tying up every resource and agent in paperwork and suspensions for accusations that would get thrown out but not before there were weeks of investigations."

"Do you think Fowler was the one who blew up the plane?"

"No. I think whoever was using Fowler to get to the music box wanted to get Neal out of the way after it was out in the open. Whoever is behind the plane, though definitely didn't want Neal dead."

"How's that?"

"It was a remote detonation. They blew up the plane when they saw Neal was close enough to see Kate inside."

Elizabeth looked at Neal who had fallen asleep, exhausted from his racing thoughts and overwhelming emotions. She started taking off his shoes, "what are you going to do next?"

"I've had Jones and Cruz look into the evidence locker to see what they can dig up, and I've got Diana running flight logs. I don't know what else I can do?"

"You can talk to him when he wakes up, he trusts you Peter," Elizabeth looked at Neal's face and whispered to herself, "more than you know."

* * *

I want to send out a thanks to…

Shadow Cat17

AnneWentworth

BunBunBabe

Serena-chan1

MrsRobertPattinson2593

Remnant-of-Misery

KB22

And QualityReviewer

Thanks for your comments, they really let me know what you like about the stories and what I can improve on. It really means a lot to me that all of you took the time to review and comment.


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